Game apparatus.



S. L. MGOURDY. GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 001.14, 1911.

1,030,108, I Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHEET8-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES CMMM (INVENTOR ATTORNEYS S. L. MOGURDY.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 001214.1911.

1,030,108. Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS STEWART L. MGOURDY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEWART L. MoCUBDY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a game apparatus, and the primary object of my invention is to provide an apparatus designed along the lines of a baseball game, the apparatus possessing all the plays and fine points of the ordinary baseball game, thereby affording considerable amusement to adults as well as juveniles, it being possible to construct the game apparatus upon a very large scale whereby it can be participated in b adults re oresentin nines or clubs or made upon a very small scale simply to interest juveniles.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus by which a game of baseball can be played, provision being made whereby the players will have practically the same chance of success as the players of league games.

A further object of thisinvention is to provide a baseball game apparatus with simple and effective means for projecting a ball in various directions upon a field or board that is divided to indicate the various plays.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a baseball game apparatus that is simple in construction, durable, and highly efficient as an amusement device.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals denote correspondin g parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the game apparatus, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the apparatus, Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the apparatus, illustrating a modified form of opening, Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of a portlon of the apparatus, Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same, Fig. 7 1s Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 14, 1911.

Patented June 18, 1912. Seria1 No. 654,595.

a plan of a portion of a modified form of apparatus, Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same,, Fig. 9 is a plan of a portion of the apparatus showing a modified form of opening, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus showing the preferred form of opening.

A game apparatus in accordance with thls invention comprises a rectangular frame having side walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 connected by a horizontal plate or field 5 located adjacent to the upper edges of said walls. The field 5, as it will be hereinafter termed, has the edges thereof cut away adjacent to the walls 1 and 2 to provide slots 6 for the fielding or return of balls to the home plate, as will presently appear. The plate or field 5 is-provided with an opening 7 at one end thereof.

Printed or otherwise marked upon the field 5 are the boundary lines 8 of a diamond, the home plate, first, second and third bases being represented by openings 9 and 10.

Journaled in the openlng 10 is a vertical shaft 11 having the lower end thereof mounted in a bearing 12, carried by an inclined return plate 1.3 arranged within the rectangular frame of the apparatus, said plate inclining from the walls 1 and 2 toward the walls 3 and 4, whereby a ball or spherical body passing through the openings 6 will be returned to an opening 14 at the juncture of the walls 3 and 4, this opening being in communication with a cup 15, carried by said walls.

Mounted upon the shaft 11 is a balance wheel 16 and secured to the upper end of the shaft above the field 5 is a receptacle 17. This receptacle is circular in plan with the top and bottom walls thereof convex, the top wall having a central opening 18 whereby a ball can be deposited in said recepta cle. The receptacle has four radially disposed discharge spouts 19, two of said spouts being in the same horizontal plane, while the other two of said spouts are so positioned as to project above and below the horizontal plane of the receptacle, whereby when a ball is placed in the receptacle and said receptacle revolved, the ball will be hurled or discharged through one of the spouts by centrifugal force, the direction it takes being a matter of chance 011 account of the disposition of the discharge spouts. This receptacle represents home plate and a batter, and the said receptacle is adaptdistinguishing between fair and foul balls. The partitions 20 provide a passageway for balls that indicate out on bases, the partitions 21 passed balls and wild pitches, the partitions 22 batter hit and runner hit and the partitions 23 stolen bases. The space between the partitions 21 and 22 is designated upon the field strikes, between the partitions 21 and 20 balls, between the partitions 22 and 23 balls and the spaces between the partitions 24:, 20 and 23 foul. The field 5, at the stations of the pitcher, first, second and third basemen, shortstop, fielders and such positions to which the right and left hand fielders may assume to catch foul balls, is

provided with sector-shaped openings 25.

In Figs. L and 9 of the drawings there are illustrated modified forms of openings. As shown in Fig. l there are two openings 28 divided by a web 27, and the forward edges of said openings are beveled. The web 27 represents errors, that is, when a ball passes over a web without entering one of the openings 28. In Fig. 9 of the drawings, the semi-circular opening 25 has the rear wall thereof provided with a tongue .27 extending in proximity to the forward beveled edge of said opening. In either instance, when the ball passes through the openings, they are collected in the cup 15 through the medium of the inclinedreturn plate 13. The field 5, adjacent to the wall 1, is provided with vertical partitions 29 arranged in parallelism. hen a ball passes between these partitions into the opening 6, a home run has been made. Arranged upon the bottom side of the field 5 are bearings 30 and pivotally mounted in these bearings by pins 31 are levers 32.

' The levers 32 extend to the openings 9 and are bent up, as at 33 to enter said openings when the bases are supposed to be filled or one of said bases occupied by a player. The levers 32 extend through bayonetshaped slots 34 provided therefor in the wall 4 of the partition, the bayonet-shaped slots permitting of said levers being locked in an adjusted position.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is illustrated a modification of the invention, wherein the shaft 11 has a pinion 35 meshing with a rack 36, carried by a rod 37 slidably mounted in bearings 38, carried by the under side of the plate 5. The rod 37 extends through an opening 39 provided therefor in one of the walls of the apparatus. By pushing inwardly or pulling outwardly upon the rod 37, the home plate can be spun in a desired direction.

The following rules and regulations are preferable in connection with the apparatus, but the same rules that govern the National, American League and the American Association can be employed or special rules adopted before a game is started.

The game can be played by two persons, each individual choosing a team, for instance a contest between Pittsburgh and New York. The names of the players or each team can be written in a score book or printed cards containing the lineup of the various teams.

The game shall consist of nine innings and it is intended that the player representing the team first up shall play until three men on the side representetl by the player are out. Then the player releases the position to his opponent, who proceeds in the same way.

lVhen a ball passes over the web of an opening, it is considered an error.

Then a ball rolls directly into and remains in any of the openings in the infield or in the outfield the batter is out, that is to say if the ball does not move out of the opening. If the ball should roll into and remain in one of the openings in the foul field, the batter is also out. If the ball passes over the playing field and goes through any openings in the playing field, that is to say does not remain in any of the openings, the batter is credited with a hit and takes first base.

If a ball should roll past the outfield openings, the batter is credited with a twobase hit and if it hits the outer walls 1 and 2 without going in the opening representing home run, the batter is credited with a three-base hit.

It is to be understood generally that a ball on the rebound signifies nothing and that wherever it goes in its direct course repre sents value.

In any part of the field designated for strikes, it is intended that when a third strike is called it shall be out unless it should rebound by hitting the walls 3 and 1 and enter the passed ball territory.

If a ball should roll directly into the stolen base territory, it is of course only to advance a player provided there is a player on base.

If a ball rolls into the foul territory, either to the right or to the left of the catcher and goes through one of the openthe ball and the batter is out.

A third person shall act as an umpire and. a fourth as an official scorer.

The base runner is indicated by the end of the lever 32 protruding upwardly through one of the openings 9.

When a player upon a base is hit by abatted ball,'the player is out.

When a batted ball goes to any one of the outfield positions and rebounds, the batter is entitled to two bases and the player on the base is entitled to one base.

hen a ball hits the opening of the pitcher and rebounds it is an error on the part of the pitcher and the batter goes to first base.

lVhen a ball rebounds from first, second, third or shortstop openings, the batter is entitled to a base and the runner is entitled to a base if on the opposite side of the field from where the ball lands.

If the ball hits the openings of the margin of the outfield, the player is entitled to two bases, and when a ball hits the outer walls 1 and 2 in the fair territory and rebounds, it is a three base hit.

When a ball goes into the opening 7, it is a home run and the players are advanced accordingly.

A ball hitting an opening and rebounding represents an error.

Adults familiar with the game of baseball will readily realize the merits of the apparatus for portraying the game, and as there is considerable uncertainty as to the delivery of the ball upon the apparatus, considerable interest will be manifested, as thechances of winning or losing the game is an uncertainty and does not depend upon the skill or accuracy of a participant in the game.

The game apparatus in its entirety is made of light and durable material and as stated before of various sizes.

What I claim is 1. A game apparatus comprising a rectangular frame, a field plate carried thereby and having edges cut away to provide openings, a return plate arranged said frame below said field plate and inclined toward the rear end of said field plate, and a revoluble receptacle arranged upon said field plate and provided with spouts adapted to project a ball upon said field plate.

2. A game apparatus comprising a rectangular frame, a field plate arranged within said frame and provided With openings, a revoluble receptacle mounted. upon said field plate and provided with spouts adapted to project a ball upon said field plate, and means arranged below said field plate for conveying the projected ball to the rear end of said field plate.

3. A game apparatus comprising a rec- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the tangular frame, a field plate arranged within said frame and provided with openings, a cup carried by the rear end of said field plate and in communication with the under side of said field plate, and a receptacle revolubly mounted upon said field plate and adapted to be spun to project a ball upon said field plate.

4.. A game apparatus comprising a rectangular frame, a field plate arranged within said frame and provided with openings, a cup carried by the rear end of said field plate and in communication with the under side of said field plate, a receptacle revolubly mounted upon said field plate and adapted to be spun to project a ball upon said field plate, and levers arranged below said field plate and adapted to project into some of the openings thereof.

5. A game apparatus comprising a rectangular frame, a field plate arranged within said frame and provided with openings, an inclined return plate arranged in said frame below said field plate, a cup carried by the rear end of said frame and in communication with the space between said field plate and said return plate, and means including a receptacle arranged upon said field plate for projecting a ball upon said field plate.

6. A game apparatus comprising a rectangular frame, a field plate arranged in said frame and provided with openings, partitions arranged upon said field plate, a revoluble receptacle arranged upon said field plate and provided with discharge spouts for discharging a ball upon said field plate, and means arranged in the same plane as said field plate for partially closing some of the openings thereof.

7. A game apparatus comprising a rectangular frame, a field plate arranged in said frame and provided with openings, a

return plate arranged below said field plate and inclined toward the rear edge thereof, a cup carried by the rear edge of said field plate and in communication with the space between said field plate and said return plate, a revoluble receptacle arranged above said field plate and adapted to discharge a ball thereon, partitions arranged upon said field plate for guiding the movement of the ball discharged by said receptacle, and means in the same plane as said field plate for partially closing some of the openings thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

STEWVART L. MCCURDY. l/Vitnesses:

MAX H. SRoLovITz. CHRISTINA T. Hooo.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

